Lake Alan Henry

Lake Alan Henry
Name	Lake Alan Henry
Location	Martin County and Howard County, Texas, United States
Type	reservoir
Inflow	Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
Outflow	Double Mountain Fork Brazos River
Basin countries	United States
Area	3,600 acres
Max-depth	70 ft
Volume	108,000 acre-feet
Elevation	2,100 ft

Lake Alan Henry is a reservoir in the Texas Panhandle region created by impounding the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River. The lake serves as a municipal water source, flood control feature, and recreational destination, linking regional infrastructure, wildlife habitats, and tourism in West Texas.

Geography and Hydrology

Lake Alan Henry lies near the cities of Lubbock, Texas, Abernathy, Texas, and Tahoka, Texas within Martin County, Texas and Howard County, Texas. The reservoir occupies a segment of the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River watershed, which connects hydrologically to the Brazos River mainstem and ultimately drains toward the Gulf of Mexico via the Brazos River Delta. Surrounding physiography includes the Llano Estacado plateau, the Rolling Plains, and nearby ecoregions such as the Shortgrass Prairie and Cross Timbers. The catchment receives precipitation influenced by El Niño–Southern Oscillation, North American Monsoon, and synoptic-scale weather from the Southern Plains. Downstream flow regimes are affected by diversion structures and conveyance to municipal systems serving Lubbock Water Utilities and other water districts.

Hydrologic characteristics include seasonal runoff variability, sediment transport from upland channels, and evaporation driven by Texas Panhandle climate patterns. The lake's impoundment created a reservoir with a surface area near 3,600 acres and a storage capacity around 108,000 acre-feet, altering local groundwater interaction with the Ogallala Aquifer and influencing recharge patterns. Hydrologists and agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and regional water districts monitor inflow, water quality, and reservoir elevation to manage supply and flood risk.

History and Construction

Planning for the reservoir involved regional water planners, municipal leaders from Lubbock, and engineering firms working with state agencies like the Texas Water Development Board. Construction began in the late 20th century following feasibility studies that considered alternatives including groundwater wellfields tapping the Ogallala Aquifer and interbasin transfers similar to projects involving the Red River and Canadian River. Primary contractors used earthfill dam techniques influenced by designs applied in reservoirs such as Lake Meredith, Lake Alan Henry’s contemporaries, and federal projects executed by the Bureau of Reclamation in other basins.

The dam and reservoir were completed to provide a strategic water source for municipal and industrial users, with naming honoring a local figure. Local governance, including the Martin County Commissioners Court and interlocal agreements with neighboring municipalities, guided allocation. The project intersected with environmental policy frameworks like the Clean Water Act and state water rights adjudication under Texas riparian doctrine and the prior appropriation doctrines observed in western river systems.

Ecology and Wildlife

The reservoir and adjacent riparian corridors support assemblages of vertebrates and plants characteristic of Shortgrass Prairie and riparian woodlands, including migratory species tracked along the Central Flyway. Fish communities have been managed with stocking programs introducing species similar to those in regional impoundments such as Largemouth bass, White crappie, and Channel catfish, coordinated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Aquatic habitat features include submerged structures, littoral vegetation, and varying thermal stratification typical of reservoirs in semi-arid climates.

Shoreline and upland habitats provide nesting and foraging for birds including Northern Bobwhite, Mallard, and raptors such as the Red-tailed Hawk. Mammals in the broader landscape include Coyote, White-tailed Deer, and Pronghorn in adjacent grassland remnants. Vegetation management addresses invasive species issues comparable to those managed at Lake Texoma and other Texas reservoirs, and conservation collaborations have occurred with organizations like the Nature Conservancy and university researchers from Texas Tech University studying wetland ecology, fishery dynamics, and impacts to the Ogallala Aquifer.

Recreation and Tourism

Lake Alan Henry functions as a regional recreation site offering boating, fishing, camping, and wildlife observation, attracting visitors from Lubbock, Amarillo, and the broader South Plains. Angling tournaments, boating events, and birdwatching outings connect local clubs and organizations including regional chapters of Ducks Unlimited and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. Nearby recreational infrastructure links to state and federal lands, with access managed by agencies such as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and county park services.

Tourism economics tie into hospitality sectors in Lubbock, Texas, where cultural attractions like the Buddy Holly Center and educational institutions including Texas Tech University help drive visitor flows. Regional festivals, hunting seasons regulated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, and outdoor recreation trends influence visitation patterns similar to those experienced at reservoirs like Lake Brownwood and Possum Kingdom Lake.

Water Management and Usage

Water from the reservoir supplies municipal systems, industrial users, and irrigation operations coordinated through regional water plans administered by the Texas Water Development Board and local water utilities. Allocation frameworks align with interlocal agreements, drought contingency plans, and conjunctive-use strategies balancing surface storage with Ogallala Aquifer pumping managed by groundwater conservation districts such as the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District. Infrastructure for conveyance includes pipelines, pumping stations, and treatment facilities operated by municipal utilities comparable to Lubbock Water Utilities.

Water quality monitoring addresses nutrients, salinity, and algal dynamics following protocols used by the Environmental Protection Agency and state laboratories. Management responses to drought follow escalation procedures drawn from statewide drought plans and involve coordination with regional stakeholders including agricultural producers represented by Texas Farm Bureau and industrial partners. Long-term planning integrates climate projections from agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and hydrologic modeling performed by research centers at Texas A&M University.

Category:Reservoirs in Texas